Whirly Girl

SPECIAL ART EVENT
2008 Art-A-Whirl

Oh my goodness. How can I even begin to give you a glimpse of this weekend’s line-up? It’s Art-A-Whirl weekend. Clearly, that’s no secret. If you haven’t yet heard, you probably haven’t the house for the past couple of weeks — or checked your email, or visited any local websites (or businesses of any kind), or turned on the radio, or answered the phone, or even Twittered. Nope. You’re living in a vacuum, and it’s time to change the bag. Yeah, I know it’s no secret, but how can I not mention it? I mean, if you’re going to do any one thing this weekend, this is it, folks. It’s supposed to be a beautiful weekend (finally!), perfect for a full-day stroll.

Here are just a few must-sees:
(I realize, of course, that I’m missing many more.)

Kick off Art-A-Whirl 2008 with the power of women. I like how that sounds. "What is it good for? / Absolutely nothing." (Sorry. I don’t know where that came from.) The power of women: what does it look like? features work by 52 artists from the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Mentor Program: "18 teams, 52 artists, 52 lives, ONE SHOW." The power of women: what does it look like? You’ll surely get 52 different responses. Choose the one you like best. This evening’s opening features music by singer/songwriter Beth Kinderman (6-9 p.m.), and another Beth — Beth Loraine Bowman — will be exhibiting work from her new series, "Trains and Other Transport," at the Grain Belt studios as well.

Opening Party on Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 to 8 p.m., Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., Grain Belt Bottling House Atrium, 79 Thirteenth Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

One of the most compelling events this weekend is the Creative Electric Gallery Safe House Boat, a recently-recovered houseboat (formerly owned by local survivalist Dennis "Kiddie" Cramer) moored to the banks of the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis. A collaboration between Jenny Adams, Kurt Froehlich, Isabelle Harder, Phil Harder, Geoff Herbach, Karl Rascke, Dave Salmela, Nadine Gross, Eli Anthony, and Andy Sturdevant — who will soon be a contributing writer on a new Rake art blog, The Thousandth Word — the Safe House Boat will feature safety films, water drills, food and drink, and White Map and the Owls playing sets of music while floating by on pontoons.

Friday form 7 to 11 p.m., all day and evening on Saturday, and during the day Sunday; Rockway Docks behind The Sample Room, 2124 Marshall St. NE; 612-706-7879.

Minnesota Monitor’s Paul Schmelzer is offering up a triple Whirl with Mok Studio. His wife, Julaporn Mok Buakaow, will be selling her sculptures (including Nong), photographs on canvas, an array of functional and ceramics, and her new limited-edition book, Nong in Minneapolis. In addition to this, they’ll be showcasing and selling art and items they’ve acquired in their travels through Thailand: oil pastels by Chiang Mai-based artist Luck Maisalee and textiles and fashions that include Thai fisherman pants, patoongs (Thai sarong), silk scarves, blouses, handbags, and dresses.

Friday and Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m., Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m., Mok Studio, The Thorp Building, 1618 Central Ave. NE, Suite 02 (Basement), Minneapolis.

Our friend Kate Iverson (who will be exhibiting her work at the Q.arma Building) talked up the I Dreamed I Dream exhibit at Fox Tax like there’s no tomorrow, so I’m guessing it must be hot. And the line up confirms it. Yes, the title comes from the Sonic Youth song, of course. (That’s still good, right?) And the show is about dualities — light and dark, so to speak. (Typical!) Not the most original concept perhaps, but certainly an interesting one through the lens of four unique artists: Deuce Seven (whom I hope to finally meet), DC Ice, Rudy Fig, and Keith Eric Williams. Very cool stuff. According to the press release: "Each artist in the exhibition explores the historic duality of youthful optimism contrasted with a fear of surrendering such optimism." Hmm. What about the fear of optimism? Now there’s something I understand.

Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., The Gallery @ Fox Tax, 503 1st Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

5th Annual Wayzata Art Experience

I could make a joke about leaving this event for Mpls/St. Paul Magazine to cover, but I’m guessing it’s too late to make the May issue (or June, or July, or… ). Why Wayzata would choose to have their Annual Art Experience on the same weekend as Art-A-Whirl is beyond me, but then perhaps those Wayzata folks just don’t like to walk into the rising sun. What they do like, however, is towing the hoe. (This is no amusingly disguised criticism.) This year, the Wayzata Art Experience features a special Outdoor Garden Art Exhibit. Plus, expect the usual visual, culinary, and performance art up and down Lake Street.

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lake St., Downtown Wayzata.

MUSIC
Art-A-Whirl After-Party with Black Blondie

Perhaps I should have put this up with the Art-A-Whirl activities, but alas, here it is, under music. If you’ve been reading the Secrets for a while then you’ve probably heard me talk about Black Blondie already, but what can I say? These gals are great. They offer a unique sound — a soul-pounding fusion of jazz, R & B, hip-hop, and trip-hop. They display outstanding musicianship (and a glorious upright bass). Th
ey serve up some seriously sultry vocals. And they’re just too damn hot. What’s left to say? Oh, well, how about this: we’re looking at a double whammy this weekend — one show on Friday (with Nappy Roots) and another on Saturday

Friday at 9.m., Cabooze, 917 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; $17. Saturday at 10 p.m., The Red Stag, 509 1st Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

Papa Mali

I may end up doing you a disservice by offering you too many options, but I truly did my best to whittle them down. There are just too many fabulous things happening this weekend — a sure sign of Spring. Bring on the heat, baby! Papa Mail is in town. Oooyeah. Take the swampy blues of Mississippi, where he was born, and infuse them with two decades of New Orleans (via Shreveport, no less), bred on Crescent City Funk. Delta Funk, I guess. Not bad. Actually, Mali arrives in the Twin Cities straight from a three-night gig with B.B. King. That has to say something for the caliber of musician to which I refer. Mali will play in a number of festivals this summer, including Bella Sol, for which this is his pre-party tour.

Friday at 9 p.m., Trocaderos Nightclub & Restaurant, 107 Third Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-465-0440.

Kenwood Symphony Delivers Romantic Notions

The Kenwood Symphony Orchestra has come a long way since its adult education class beginnings. It went from a chamber orchestra to a symphony, now with Yuri Ivan at the helm. And at a lovely juncture in their journey, they would like to share with you their music — or rather, Weber’s music, Sibelius’s music, Beethoven’s music… at their hands. And what an interesting bunch of hands indeed. So many. So varied. So adept. The program, “Romantic Notions," included Weber’s Overture to Der Freischultz; Sibelius’s En Saga, Op.9 Tone Poem; and Beethoven’s Piano Concert No.4 in G Major, Op.58, with piano soloist Dr. Miroslava Kisilevitch.

Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Church of the Annunciation, 5409 West 54th St., South Minneapolis, free.

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Augusten Burroughs Brings a Wolf to the Table

Apparently, Augusten Burroughs really tore it up in the last leg of his current tour. I’ve received rave reviews via email. It’s a little confusing actually since the book he’s sharing, A Wolf at the Table, exposes psychological cruelty, abandonment, and alcoholism. I would tend to believe these things are not funny (though with dismay I see they’re so often the source of our laughter). Burroughs, however, has a way of lightening up the bleakest moments without trivializing them. He’s playful and profound — a most beautiful combination. In A Wolf at the Table, the best-selling author of Sellevision, Running with Scissors, Dry, Magical Thinking, and Possible Side Effects plays a game of Pong through the grays, always stopping at the extremes.

Friday at 7 p.m., Coffman Memorial Union Theater, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-625-5549; free.

LECTURE
What’s Really Happening in Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico, and the rest of the region?

Why didn’t they just call it, "What’s Really Happening in Latin America?" Am I missing something here? Am I somehow offending my people? Truth is, there’s a lot happening in Latin America. Truth is, we don’t really hear about it here (unless we’re really looking), except for occasional spatters of weather reports and dubious accusations of communist tendencies (as if that were something bad). Maybe it’s time to find out what’s really going on down there (because the earth has an up and a down). Hear tonight from Jorge Martín, International Secretary for the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign and Latin America correspondent for Marxist.com. (What did I tell you? — Commies, commies all. Yay!) Also sharing their experiences and views will be exiled Colombian trade unionist Gerardo Cajamarca, professor and filmmaker August Nimtz (a brilliant man who makes the best mojitos in town), and Twin Cities Venezuela solidarity activist Yasmin Tovar.

Saturday from 7-9 p.m., Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, 312 Central Ave. SE, 2nd Floor, Minneapolis; free.

SHOPPING
Covered Uptown Grand Opening

Ok. Wow. I’m getting really tired of writing these Secrets now (as I’m sure you’re getting tired of reading), so let me wrap it up quickly. Shop. Shop. Shop. Uptown continues its facelift with the grand opening of a new Covered store on Lagoon. Enjoy food, drinks, music — plus a 15 percent discount on all merchandise and a gift with any purchase over $100.

Open all weekend, with the Grand Opening on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Covered, 1201 Lagoon Ave, Minneapolis; 612-825-1610.

SPECIAL EVENT
Sesquicentennial Weekend

Celebrate Statehood Weekend and our 150th birthday with stamps, planes, food, and fireworks. Ok. I have to admit, the stamp part seems a bit weird to me. And it’s nothing nearly as cool as the stamp collector tents in Stanley Donen’s Charade. But don’t kid yourself; you’re not nearly as glamorous as Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. I’ll tell you this, though: If you get yourself dolled up — and I mean dolled up — and head for the Capitol, you can bitchslam glam with a century and a half. This weekend brings, National Guard and vintage plane flyovers, postage stamp unveilings, food vendors, exhibitor tents, and music. Top it all off with a fireworks display on Sunday night.

Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m., stairs of the Capitol; free.

BENEFIT
There are two important benefit this weekend as well. Dusk ‘til Dawn, at the Chambers on Saturday night, benefits Heading Home Hennepin — a 10-year plan designed to end homelessness in Minneapolis and Hennepin County by the year 2016. Dusk ‘til Dawn, will feature gourmet food, open bar, charity auctions, special guests, a date auction, and live music. Throughout the evening, every room and suite in the hotel will be auctioned off, and guests will have the opportunity to stay the night.

And on Sunday is the annual Minnesota AIDS Walk in Minnehaha Park (11 .m.). Join the fight to stop HIV.